What do you do if your boss is resistant to your business development ideas?

In my experience working with managers from various cultures and nationalities, there seem to be two main reasons why a boss might resist your business development ideas. These reasons can often be categorized as professional and constructive, or non-constructive and personal. For professional, constructive resistance, the key is understanding his/her concerns and tailoring your approach in line with his/her requirements. Refine your ideas to address his/her feedback, showcase data-driven value propositions, and be open to discussion. Propose a pilot test to demonstrate effectiveness if possible, etc. Of course, non-constructive resistance requires a different approach, which should be discussed separately.

Different people has different opinions and if it is your boss, you need to persuade your boss to support your idea. You should openly ask your boss where he/she has concerns on your idea. They might be crucial or may require some adjustments. Or he or she may misunderstand anything which you need to correct after knowing them. It is a good opportunities for you to hear from your boss about his/her opinions. And please enjoy the conversations but be prudent.

I agree: Understanding your boss's resistance is key. Ask for feedback on your ideas and listen closely to their concerns. Are they worried about risks, costs, or disruptions? Maybe they don't see the benefits clearly. By identifying their hesitation, you can address their specific issues and fears. Empathy is powerful; showing you understand their perspective can help you find common ground.

When faced with a rejection of a business idea, it's good to understand the underlying reasons behind the decision. In sales, we call this the “why behind the why.” By digging deeper and identifying the root cause of their hesitation, you can gain insight that will help you refine your approach for the next presentation. Then, get ready to pitch and close on your next run. Focus on creating an 'aha moment' for your boss or the board. Use compelling stories, data, and visuals to illustrate how the new strategy can drive growth and profitability for everyone.

If your boss is resistant to your business development ideas, it's important to approach the situation with diplomacy & professionalism. Here's a step-by-step approach: Take the time to understand why your boss is resistant to your ideas. Are they concerned about the potential risks, resource constraints, alignment with company goals, or something else? Listen actively to their feedback & try to see the situation from their perspective. If you believe in the viability of your ideas, gather supporting evidence to bolster your case. This may include market research, industry trends, or successful case studies from similar businesses. Presenting data-driven arguments can help alleviate your boss's concerns & build credibility for your ideas.

Be serious about your boss’s feedbacks if they are not misunderstandings. Please check if you could make any remediation plan to fix the issues or weakness of your idea. If not, you may need to restart from a scratch. Otherwise, please prepare your answers to your boss’s feedbacks and also how to fix them. Once you complete these works, you need to explain where you change or add on your initial idea and how they act against your boss’s feedbacks.

I believe once you've gathered feedback, it's important to refine your business development ideas to ensure they align with your company's goals and values. Use the feedback to strengthen your proposal and make it more persuasive. A well-thought-out plan that addresses potential concerns and outlines clear benefits will be more convincing.

Improve your proposal based on the feedback received and additional research. Make your idea more flexible so that it can be adapted to different conditions or constraints. Highlight key benefits, focusing on how your idea can benefit the company.

Refinement of any new idea has to be dissected and taken apart many times in order to see the flaws. You may end up rewriting your idea over 50 times just to get that "one idea" to click. All ideas have flaws just as managers who are not open-minded enough to see the brilliance of your idea. By writing proposals but not being egotistical about them; team feedback is important, looking at company guidelines in far you can push. Passion is passion but it is not always the truth. Having a new idea is not a "sprint it is a marathon"; You must take your time to see each aspect of your idea connect to the next segment. Everything must flow into a positive end result. Then, presented in its entirety to management.

After hearing what your boss thinks, it's time to tweak your ideas. Make sure they fit with what the company wants and stands for. You might need to tone down some parts or explain how your idea can make the company more money. Use the feedback to make your plan stronger. A solid plan that tackles worries and shows how it helps the company will impress your boss.

Value is what people want to know, but also value with execution is a surefire way to have your boss listen to you and buy-in to your ideas. Many people can present ideas, but without the thoughtfulness that goes into seeing it from an idea to an executable plan that provides your boss, your company, and your customer (internal or external) with value, it is just words on paper rather than a strategic initiative.

I found it helpful to focus on the value my business development ideas bring to the company. Instead of just explaining the ideas, talk about how they solve problems or create new opportunities that align with your boss's priorities. For example, if increasing revenue is a top focus, show how your ideas can generate more sales.

Prepare a clear presentation demonstrating your idea's potential ROI (return on investment) and other benefits. Use data and analytics to support your argument and show why your proposal is worth considering. Show alignment with corporate strategy by making sure your idea contributes to the company's long-term goals.

The success of the project is measured by the sum of discounted cash flow, in other word, values your project produces. You need to show to your boss how much value your project produces with your assumptions for the project. In order to increase values of the project, you need to get more customers base who can pay for your idea. So it is crucial for you to explain about how to attract the customers and how to open their wallets to your idea.

Demonstrating your ideas with crystal clear focus and detail in each segment having been thought through carefully should show new opportunities and solve existing problems in said areas. Each stage in detail needs to show how feasible your idea is. Reflecting on your company's goals and demonstrating how strong your returns will be from said concept will provide more of an open dialog with higher-ups in the investor sector. Remember, past ideas are not always a source of proof they are not "blue prints of success". Markets change, people change you can't foresee that. You need to show how a new direction can be tapped into that hasn't been opened yet, this may be risky but it is an opportunity to explore new turf and seize upon it.

I believe building a coalition of support is a strong strategy. Colleagues who share your vision can add credibility to your ideas. Together, you can refine your proposal and show it has broader organizational backing.

Find like-minded people who will support your idea and can help present it in the best light. Build a support network, including colleagues from different departments who could benefit from your proposal. Get support from outside experts, if possible, to add weight to your initiative.

As it is not only you but also your team who proceeds your idea into business once accepted by the company. There would be various skilled people in your team. So they could provide their insights through different perspectives. And if you could get their supports, it means that your idea could be proved from these different perspectives. Then your boss is likely to see more creditability and the team’s willing to go ahead.

Try teaming up with coworkers who like your ideas too. Having more people on your side makes your pitch stronger. It shows your idea isn't just your own fancy, but something others believe in too. Plus, they might have good advice to make your plan even better. Together, you'll show your boss that your idea has real backing.

I agree. Open communication with my boss is key to working together effectively. I'm committed to the company's success and believe we can find the best solutions by being open to suggestions and compromise. This will build trust and show I'm flexible and on board with the company's direction.

Keep talking with your boss regularly. Let them know you're all in for making the company successful, and you're up for figuring out the best ways together. Be ready to listen to their ideas and make changes to yours if needed. This back-and-forth chat helps build trust and shows you're willing to go along with where the company is heading under your boss's guidance.

A "prototype" or small-scale run of said concept in question has to be done regardless. You just can't do something and expect it to work the first time out. This is always a big concern for any corporate Executive manager to worry about. You have to know the boundaries, break-points, and feasibility of each segment while it is being implemented in order to understand the weak areas strong areas, and where it needs to be expanded upon. The data brought on from each initial segment will provide strong data on how to launch properly without substantial loss in the future. Proving the success with strong evidence will remove skepticism. Rolling out any new concept without a test run comes with a risk: there will be flaws in any new concept.

If your boss isn't sold on your idea yet, propose trying it out on a small scale first. This way, we can see if it works without spending a lot or taking big risks. We'll learn from it and make our idea even better before going all in. If it works well, it'll convince our boss it's worth doing on a bigger scale.

Be patient and persistent, recognizing that convincing management may take time. Continue to educate yourself by keeping up with the latest trends and best practices in your industry to ensure your offerings are always relevant and innovative. Use rejection as an opportunity for growth by analyzing the reasons for resistance and working to improve your persuasion and presentation skills.